WikiQuiz General Knowledge #38

Velodrome

A fixture in the park since 1877, Brighton's Preston Park plays host to the world's oldest what?

Kate Green

A former Chief Executive of the Child Action Poverty Group, which MP for Stretford and Urmston was announced as the replacement for the sacked Rebecca Long-Bailey as Labour's new Shadow Education Secretary on Saturday?

Buddy Bolden

A founding father of jazz was what New Orleans cornetist (1877-1931) with an alliterative name? He suffered from severe schizophrenia and spent the second half of his life in an asylum.

nasi lemak

A national dish of Malaysia is what serving of fragrant rice cooked in coconut milk and pandan that's served traditionally on a banana leaf? It's name means "oily rice" in Malay.

Sarah Palin

American model and actor Levi Johnston received media attention in the 2000s as the fiancé of the daughter of which US vice-presidential candidate? The two have sadly since parted ways.

Tom Watson

And finally...I couldn't let this quiz end without mentioning the fact that last week, Jürgen Klopp became the 9th Liverpool manager to win the English top flight league title. Which Liverpool manager was the first to do so, in the 1900/01 season? He shares his name with a former Labour MP.

Olivia Newton John

At the 1974 Eurovision Song Contest that was staged at the Brighton Dome and was won by ABBA, which singer finished fourth for the United Kingdom, performing the song "Long Live Love"?

Myanmar

Bagan is an ancient city and UNESCO world heritage site, formerly the capital of the Pagan Kingdom, located in which present-day Southeast Asian country?

Long Man of Wilmington

Believed to date back to the Iron Age, what is the name of the chalk figure that is 72 metres tall which is found on the slopes of Windover Hill, six miles north west of Eastbourne in East Sussex?

George IV

Brighton's Royal Pavilion was originally built as a seaside retreat for which British monarch?

Journey to the West

Buddhist monk Xuanzang is accompanied by Sun Wukong, the monkey king, on a trip to India in which one of the Four Classic Novels of Chinese literature?

Crete

Candy was the former English name for which island?

Gulf of Aqaba

Circled in purple on the map below is what gulf to the east of the Sinai Peninsula? Its known in Israel as the Gulf of Eilat.

Gloves

Cornelia James, the mother of Brighton born crime writer Peter James, was famed for making what items of clothing for Queen Elizabeth II?

Fishbourne

Dating back to 75 C.E., what is the name of the Roman palace near Chichester in West Sussex that is recorded as the largest residential building discovered in the United Kingdom?

Reticle

Derived from the Latin for 'net', what term is applied to any markings on an optical device's eyepiece, such as crosshairs or a measurement scale?

Tailor

Established in 1689 and with their main outlet on Chancery Lane, Ede & Ravenscroft is the oldest example of what sort of business in London?

Basque

Euskara is the native name for which language, believed to be the oldest living language in Europe?

Nerva-Antonine

Following on from the Julio-Claudian Dynasty and Flavian Dynasty, which dynasty ruled Rome from 96 to 192 AD?

Santiago Calatrava

His works include the Milwaukee Art Museum, Turning Torso Tower in Malmo, and World Trade Centre Transportation Hub in New York City (pictured below). Which Spanish architect is known for his sculptural forms that often resemble living organisms?

Mozambique

In 1995, which country became the first with no previous British colonial or constitutional ties to join the Commonwealth? The country in question had been a Portuguese colony until achieving independence in 1975.

The Lost Weekend / Marty

In February of this year, Bong Joon-ho's Parasite became only the third film in history to win both the Palme d'Or at Cannes and the Best Picture Academy Award. Name either of the other two films to achieve this feat.

Relict

In biology and ecology, a species or habitat that used to be widespread but now only occurs in a smaller range is called what?

Tercel

In falconry, what term, derived from the Latin for 'third', is applied to a male falcon?

Lenin Moreno

In office since 2017, who is the current President of Ecuador? The world's only serving head of state to use a wheelchair, he has done so since being shot in a 1998 robbery attempt. He was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012 for his advocacy for people with disabilities.

Marduk

In the Babylonian creation epic Enuma Elish what chief god retakes the Tablets of Destiny from Kingu and slays Tiamat?

Cap

In the early days of (association) football, the concept of each team wearing a set of matching shirts had not been universally adopted, making it hard to distinguish one team from the other. In 1886, Corinthian F.C. founder N. Lane Jackson therefore proposed that all players taking part for England in future international matches were given something before each match. What did these players get?

The Girl of the Golden West

In what Puccini opera set in America does Minnie cheat against a Sheriff in a poker game to win the life of her lover Dick Johnson who is also the bandit Ramirez?

Heaven Can Wait

In what movie does Warren Beatty play a quarterback for the Los Angeles Rams?

Kingpin

In which 1996 film does a character played by Woody Harrelson lose his hand in a ball return?

Celts

La Tène, on the shores of Lake Neuchâtel in Switzerland, is an archaeological type site for a cultural phase of which Iron Age people?

Robot Chicken

Les Claypool voiced the Mad Scientist and performed the theme song of what stop action animated series created by Seth Green?

Goldstone Ground

Located near to Hove Park, what was the name of the ground where Brighton and Hove Albion FC played their home matches between 1901 and 1997?

Oscar Wilde

Merlin Holland is the only grandchild of which famous figure, a man whose life has been researched and written about extensively by Holland himself? Holland's grandmother changed her and her children's original surname to Holland in 1895.

Royal Blood

Mike Kerr and Ben Thatcher are the two members of which Brighton based rock duo that won "Best British Group" at the 2015 BRIT Awards ceremony?

Stern-Gerlach experiment

Named after two German physicists who first conducted the experiment in 1922, what is the name of the experiment which involves sending a beam of particles through an inhomogeneous magnetic field and observing their deflection? It demonstrated that the spatial orientation of angular momentum is quantised.

welwitschia

Named for an Austrian botanist is what unique plant endemic to the Namib Desert? Namibia's national rugby team is called after it.

Battle of Leipzig

Napoleon lost in Germany to a coalition that included Russia, Prussia, Austria, and Sweden in what massive 1813 battle also called "The Battle of Nations"?

Diphthong

No, it's not a variety of underwear. Which word, derived from the Greek for "double sound" describes the combination of two adjacent vowel sounds in the same syllable. It is also known as a Gliding Vowel.

Tonka beans

Often used as a vanilla substitute, what name is given to the seeds of the flowering tree dipteryx odorata, commonly known as the cumaru, a species of flowering tree in the pea family?

Shibboleth

Originating from Hebrew, which word means a custom or tradition - usually a word or phrase - that distinguishes one group of people from another?

80 metres

Prior to the women's 100m hurdles being introduced at the 1972 Summer Olympics, over what distance did women race in the sprint hurdles event? The first winner of this event was Babe Didrikson in 1932 and the last winner was Maureen Caird in 1968.

The World Turned Upside Down

Probably an apocryphal tale and referenced in the hit musical Hamilton, American legend says that the British army band played which song after they surrendered at the siege of Yorktown, the last major battle of the American War of Independence? The song in question is an English ballad first published in the 1640s.

Wondery

Producing several of the most popular podcasts of recent years including Dirty John, Dr Death and Over My Dead Body, what is the name of the American podcast network launched in 2016 by Hernan Lopez with backing from 20th-Century Fox?

The House on Pooh Corner

Published two years after Winnie the Pooh, what was the title of the second volume of Pooh stories by A.A. Milne, made notable for the introduction of the character Tigger?

Gillian Anderson

Recently broadcast on YouTube free of charge, which award-winning actress played Blanche DuBois in the 2014 Young Vic production of A Streetcar Named Desire, the fastest selling show in the theatre's history?

Ted Williams

Regarded as one of the greatest hitters to ever play the game, which baseball player nicknamed "The Splendid Splinter" spent his entire playing career with the Boston Red Sox? A 19-time All-Star, he is the last player to post a .400 batting average in a season after averaging .406 in 1941.

Peter Bottomley

Representing the Worthing West constituency since 1997 having first entered Parliament as MP for Woolwich West in 1975, what is the name of the veteran Conservative MP who has been Father of the House in the House of Commons since the 2019 UK General Election?

Pierre-Augustin de Beaumarchais

Rossini's the Barber of Seville and Mozart's The Marriage of Figaro are both based on plays by which French playwright of the eighteenth century?

The Cuckoo Line

Running from Polegate to Eridge in East Sussex, what was the popular name of the railway line that was opened in 1880 and finally closed in 1968, which is now a footpath and cycleway?

Isabel Marant

Seen here is a logo of what (b. 1967) French fashion designer's eponymous brand? She first launched her Étoile diffusion line in 1999.

800 metres

Set in 1983 by Czechoslovakian Jarmila Kratochvílová, 1:53.28 is currently the longest-standing individual world record in athletics. In which track running event did she set this WR? Since 1983, only Pamela Jelimo (in 2008) and Caster Semenya (in 2018) have come within a second of Kratochvílová's WR.

Micky Dolenz

Sharing his name with the title character and better known for being the vocalist and drummer of a 1960s pop band, who produced and directed the 1980s children's TV show Metal Mickey?

Duke of Norfolk

Since the 16th Century, Arundel Castle has been the official residence of which Duke?

Echinodermata

Starfish, sea urchins, and sand dollars are classified in what taxonomic phylum from the Greek for "hedgehog skin"?

Brussels

The King Baudouin Stadium, which has hosted four European Cup finals as well as the final of the 1972 European Championships, is located in which European city?

Poohsticks

The World Championships of which game associated with Sussex have been staged on a bridge in Langel Common near Witney, Oxfordshire since 2016?

Paradise

The famous Las Vegas Strip is not actually within the city limits of Las Vegas. It sits immediately south of the city, in the unincorporated town of Winchester and which heavenly-sounding other town?

Luxembourg

The history of which European country is considered to begin in 963, when count Siegfried acquired a rocky promontory and its Roman-era fortifications known as "Lucilinburhuc", meaning "Little Fortress"?

Bolivia

The port cities of Tocopilla, Cobija, Calama, Mejillones and Antofagasta were all previously part of which country, that lost its coastline in the War of the Pacific (1879-1884) and is now in the top 10 largest landlocked countries in the world? Instead of still childishly claiming this coastal region for maritime purposes, they should thank their neighbouring country for propelling them into the top 10 of this highly important list...

Arequipa

The seat of Peru's Constitutional Court is in what second largest city of Peru, called the country's legal capital?

George III

The title of Duke of Sussex was first conferred on Prince Augustus Frederick, a son of which British monarch?

Busan

The world's largest department store, a branch of the department store franchise Shinsegae, is located in Centum City, an urban development in which major Asian city, the fifth-busiest port in the world?

Megan Thee Stallion

Thee Beyonce-featuring remix of "Savage" became in May, 2020 the first Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 hit for what Houston rapper?

Lebanon

Traditionally the President of what nation is a Maronite Christian, the P.M. a Sunni, and the speaker of Parliament a Shi'ite?

Georgia / Iran

Two countries that share a land border with Turkey have a currency of which the name is an anagram of the name of Turkey's currency. Name either of these two countries.

Great British Bake Off

Welford Park, a country house and estate in Berkshire, is now probably best known as the filming location of which TV series since 2014?

David Ricardo

What English economist argued that rents on good land would increase as population growth required more land to be farmed in his Principles of Political Economy, where he also developed the theory of comparative advantage?

Denis Villeneuve

What French-Canadian earned an Oscar nomination for Best Director for his work on Arrival? In 2017 he directed Blade Runner 2049.

Aspasia

What Milesian courtesan was the mistress of Pericles and likely author of the "Funeral Oration" given by Pericles in History of the Peloponnesian War?

Celeste Ng

What US author's Little Fires Everywhere was adapted into a 2020 Hulu miniseries starring Reese Witherspoon and Kerry Washington?

Kwame Nkrumah

What advocate of Pan-Africanism and the Non-Aligned Movement was elected independent Ghana's first president in 1960?

Sandra Cisneros

What author's adolescent years in Chicago's Humboldt Park neighborhood inspired her novel The House on Mango Street?

Domino Harvey

What bounty hunter and daughter of an Academy Award nominated actor was portrayed by Kiera Knightley in a 2005 film?

Himeji Castle

What castle and UNESCO World Heritage Site located in Japan's Hyogo Prefecture is nicknamed "White Egret Castle" after its resemblance to that bird taking flight?

Coimbra

What city and medieval capital of Portugal is the site of the oldest university in the Portuguese-speaking world?

Ellen (Terry and Burstyn)

What first name is shared by a renowned actress of the late 19th and early 20th century from Coventry who was considered the leading Shakespearean and comic actress of her day (and was also the great-aunt of John Gielgud) and an actress who won an Academy Award for Alice Doesn't Live Here Anymore?

Laniakea Supercluster

What galaxy supercluster with a name from Hawaiian for "open skies" contains the Milk Way and approximately 100,000 other galaxies?

bodhisattva

What is the 11-letter term from Sanskrit for "enlightened being" for a Buddhist who forgoes nirvana to return and help others on Earth?

chaebol

What is the 7-letter term in South Korea for a large, typically family-controlled industrial conglomerate? Examples include Hyundai, Samsung, and LG.

Cree

What is the most widely spoken indigenous language of Canada?

Herstmonceux

What is the name of the village that is seven miles north east of Eastbourne in East Sussex that has housed the Royal Greenwich Observatory since 1998?

Danger Mouse

What is the stage name of the perform who, with Cee Lo Green, formed the group Gnarls Barkley?

Operation Yellow Ribbon

What name was given to the operation on September 11, 2001 to divert as many aeroplanes as possible away from American airspace and ground them in Canadian airports? The musical Come From Away is based on the story of several passengers grounded as a result of this operation.

45

What number is shared by Haydn's 'Farewell' Symphony and the squad number worn by Mario Balotelli at Inter Milan, Manchester City, AC Milan, Liverpool and Brescia?

12

What number links the elementary fermions in the Standard Model, the cranial nerves, and the first part of the small intestine?

Judaism

What religion's festival of Shavuot or Feast of Weeks celebrates the start of harvest?

Stane Street

What was the name of the 56 mile Roman road that linked London to the Roman town of Noviomagus Reginorum, which later became Chichester and is a name shared with a separate Roman road that linked Hertfordshire to Colchester?

Gili

What word precedes 'Trawangan', 'Meno' and 'Air' in the name of three Indonesian islands off the northwest coast of Lombok?

Eswatini

Which African country has separate executive and legislative capital cities, both of which have two As and two Bs in their names?

Chris Ofili

Which Manchester born Turner Prize-winning artist is known for his paintings incorporating elephant dung? His painting The Holy Virgin Mary caused considerable controversy when it was exhibited in New York in 1999, with then mayor Rudolph Giuliani describing it as "sick".

Messina

Which Sicilian city is the setting for the William Shakespeare play Much Ado About Nothing?

Pease Pottage

Which West Sussex village that is the site of a motorway service station at the junction of the M23 and A23 takes its name from an old name for a savoury pudding which according to local folklore was served to convicts travelling from London to the South Coast?

Rudyard Kipling

Which author who had a home in Rottingdean near Brighton wrote the first ever Christmas message by a British monarch, which was delivered by King George V in 1932?

Mascara

Which cosmetic product shares its name with a city and province in northwestern Algeria?

Subway

Which fast food franchise was originally known as Pete's Super Submarines when it was founded in 1965 in Bridgeport, Connecticut? It now has over 40,000 outlets worldwide.

RSPCA

Which major charity that was founded in 1824 has its national headquarters at Wilberforce House in Southwater, near Horsham in West Sussex?

Cape Agulhas

Which rocky headland in South Africa is the geographic southern tip of the African continent, and the dividing line between the Atlantic and Indian Oceans?

John M. Darley and Bibb Latané

Which two American social psychologists conducted a series of experiments in the 1960s and 1970s to test the 'bystander effect', including pumping smoke into a room of Columbia University students to see how they would react?

Goose, geese (in The Wonderful Adventures of Nils by Swedish writer Selma Lagerlöf)

Yksi, Kaksi, Kolme, Neljä, Viisi and Kuusi - simply meaning one, two, three, four, five and six - are all what type of animal (five letters!), accompanying a young boy in an early 20th century children's novel written by the first female recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature? Five-letter name of the animal please.